Drain cock wrench



N. J. VLASS DRAIN COCK WRENCH Feb. 5; 1946.

Filed Sept. 19, 1944 INVENTOR. Il/I/l/II/II/I V4488 BY LA lrrak I Y0Patented Feb. 5, 1946 DRAIN COCK WRENCH Nicholas J. 'Vlass,'Atlanta, Ga.Application September 19, 1944, Serial No. 554,833 4 Claims. (o 81-55)(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and usedby or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in wrench constructions, and moreparticularly, to wrenches for use in opening and closing conventionaldrain cocks and similar devices.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a unitary wrenchdevice for engaging the shank or body portion of a conventional draincook or similar structure to prevent the application of rotative torquethereto, and the inclusion of rotary means for engaging and rotating thedrain cock valve stem within the drain cock body while the latter isheld, to prevent the rotative torque applied to the valve stem frombeing communicated to any part of the structure in which the drain cockis mounted. v

A further object is the provision of a wrench device having means forengaging the hexagonal portion or wrench-receiving portion of aconventional drain cock body, and rotary means carried by the holdingmeans mounted for axial movement thereon so as to be moved intointerlocking engagement with the drain cock valve stem to retain thewrench portion in operative position on the drain cock body, and therotary means in engagement with the drain cock valve stem for rotationthereof during the operation of the device.

A further object is the provision of means for engaging the drainopeningin the drain cock valve stem for centralizing and retaining thewrench device on the drain cock body against lateral displacement duringthe operation of the device.

A still further object is the provision of a drain cock wrench devicefor use in opening and closing conventional drain cocks mounted infragile or delicate supports, including means for centering and holdingthe wrench device in operating position on the drain cock body toprevent rotative torque from being applied to the drain cock body or itssupport, including two relatively rotatable torque applying members forapplying relatively rotatable torque in opposite directions between thedrain cock body and the drain cock valve stem to effect rotation of thevalve stem within the drain cock body. 7

A still further object is the provision of a pair of laterally extendinghandle members connected respectively to the drain cock wrench-receivingportion of the wrench device and to. the rotary concentric drain cockvalve stem-actuating portion of the wrench device, in which each of saidhandle members is disposed in a predetermined angular relation to thedrain cock engaging parts to indicate the relative drain cock engagingpositions of said parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts on thesevera1 figures.

Fig. 1 i a perspective view of my improved drain cock wrench device,part of the cylindrical body or sleeve portion bein broken away andshown in section to more clearly disclose the rotatable operating stem.Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through my improved drain cockwrench device, as seen in Fig. 1, showing its application to aconventional drain cock which is mounted in a relatively fragilesupport, such'as a. rubber or flexible drain outlet from a flexible tankor container. In the maintenance or servicing of aircraft, certaincontainers, such as fuel tanks, etc., car-. ried by the aircraft, arenecessarily made light in weight, and considerable difficulty is oftenex-.

- age the portion of the tank or container adjacent the drain outlet.

Self-sealing or bulletproof fuel tanks for aircraft are frequently madeentirely of rubber compounds and fabric and have a flexible hose-likedrain outlet portion, as indicated at I in Fig. 1 of the drawing, intowhich is inserted an annular ribbed nipple 2 of metal, plastic or otherrigid material. This nipple 2 is secured in the drain outlet either by asuitable adhesive, or by a pipe wrench-receiving portion at one end, anda valve seat 6 at the other end for engagement with the valve portion 1on the end of the hollow drain cock valve stem 8.

The stem 8 is externally threaded into the internally threaded portionof the drain cock body 4, and carries a valve head forming the valveportion Iv at one end, which extends beyond the body 4,, closing thecentral drain passage mas seen in Fig; 2. The drain outlet passage 9 isprovided with a plurality of lateral drain opene ings 1a extendingthrough the stem, just under extending crank portion of the arm to movesufthe valve head portion 7. An operating handle It! comprises a pair ofarms projecting laterally e in opposite directions from the valvestem,8.

These arms or' drain cock valve stemhandle mem-- bers ID are fixed tothe drain outlet portion ;ofthe hollow stem 8. Rotation of the stem 8 bythe handles ill in one direction moves the stem. and, the valve head Iupwardly to establish a draining communication between the inner bore910i the valve' stem 8: and the tank outletl, through: the lateraldrainopenings 1a.. Rotation; of the handles H1 in the other directionmoves: thevalve head 1 downwardly against theseat B inthe. body.

ficiently away from the end wrench portion l3 that the device may beeasily and conveniently positioned on a drain cock without the crankextremi-ty of the-arm'1 9'striking the handles llll0. The crank arm [9and handle I! are rigidly secured to the stem l6 and extend radially inthe same direction so that the handle I! serves as an indicator for theposition of the crank l9.

In the operation of: the device, the. endwrench portion [-3 of thedevice is first manipulated: so

that thesocket l4 receives the hexagonal: portion To; secure thedraincocklstem against accidental displacement, a wrench or pliers areusually applied to thehandles. l-U, causingexcess applicationof torque.to-be applied to the tank outlet I. This rotative. torque often rupturesthe connections between the tank outlet andthe tank,.making itnecessarytoremovethetank. from the aircraft: There is: also' danger ofi fire,incase the damage to the fuel tank outlet is notdiscovered beforetakeoff, or the rupture-occurs-during flight after. having beenweakened,.due to previous applications. of rotative" torque to thedrain.- cock body' through the stem: while tighten? ing; and looseningthedrain 'cock'valve stem when the aircraft was-beingserviced,

My improved draincock wrench comprisesta cylindrical body orsleeve-portion H formed; at one end with a; laterally and longitudinallybent arm or'yoke member I 2 carrying an:inwardly ex- 7 tending socket:or wrenchportion' l3 havingla; nut

receiving opening or socket member M: disposed concentrically in a planeat. right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical; body H:and inaspaced; relationto thesend of the bodyor sleeve member I I.Projecting laterally from; the side: of: thEZCyIiII- drical body M,adjacenttherother'end thereof; is a handle member I5 forjholding; thebody ME nd wrencn'socket M while positioning th Wench device: on adrain. cock, and to: holdxthe'. drain cock. body against rotative:displacement; The handle member I5 projects laterally" from the body-ll:in theopposite" radial direction as the yoke member l2, so that thehandle points: in the same direction as the nut receiving socket oropeningllda 7' 1' t The cylindrical body or sleeve portion Hf has an.operating, stems Hi rotatably and axiallym'ovable therein, formed: withvan actuatingahandle l1: projecting, laterally from: one end;Thefoppozsite, end ofithe operating stem I16 is tapered. as indicated atl8 to:providearcenteringitip which is. adapted to be;inserted into theend of the; drain cock drampassage fl-to: centralize thefwrench deviceon the drain cock during thefappli'cationand operation of theewrenchdevice,

This conical tip on the end.- of the stem: i6 is r also/employed asaplug orrstopper for-closing the endoi the drain;- passagewhilerthedevica being usedltoloosen the drain valve: l p

5 of the drain cock body- 4-.. The stem: portion L6 is movedla-xia-llywithinthe body H." by theoperating handle member I! to insert theconical tip l8 in the drain opening 9 of the hollow drain passage of thedrain cock valve stem 8. This disposes, the actuating stem 16 inconcentric relationtto-the stem 8- of the drain cock. The operating steml6; isthenrotated by the handle member i-I- to'bring the crank armportion: 19 against one of thehandles: til-til of, the: drain cock valvestem. Torque is then applied in opposite rotative directions by the:handles 15 and I at the? wrench device to cause rotation of the'stem 8,loosening the drain cock While-,, at the: same time,. prevent'- ing. therotative torque from being: applied. to: the

drain cock body 5 or to thetank outlet or sump I carrying'the draincock;

It upward pressure'is maintainedyon the operating stem 8 of the drain;cock the conical-extension prevents excessive" leakage through thedrainpassage: [9- during: the opening of the drain cock l V In the draincock valve tightening operation the procedure just described is reversedThe handle I5 is heldstationary whiie rotativetorqu'e is applied to thehandle H- torotate: the drain cock stem intatig-htlyclosed-position.Thezha'ndle member I5, being held rigid against roliative movement,prevents the application ofv the'rotativel torque communicated. to the;stem from be ing communicated to the: tank outlet portion: l as thestem:8 of. the drain" valve 1' jammed up tightly against its valveseatv 6.. v

a While I have disclosed awrench device applicable for use withconventional: drain cocks; such as the hollowcenter drain. valve: type;it is obvi'ous that? various changes; may be: made in the constructionas illustrated", such as variations inthe shape andzsige: of the'yokesocket" E31 and in" the: formation of the crank member l 9, to adapt thedevice for securingt'other' rotary fastoning: and: operatingimemberswithout departportion ingfrom the: spirit of: therinventiorr as definedI member; disposed ina plane normal to the-Ion gitudinaliaxis of thetubular bo'dy'i'rr spaced relation: ta theend' of the tubular body forreceiving: and holding against rotationthe body of aconventional draincock having a centrally rotatable valve stem formed with a drain openingtherethrough, an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically androtatably movable within the tubular body with one end thereofprojecting toward the drain cock receiving and holding portion on theyoke member and terminating in a tapered extremity adapted to bereceived in the drain opening in the drain cock valve stem, meanscarried by said operating stem adjacent said tapered extremity forinterengaging the drain cock valve stem to rotate the same, and handlemeans carried by said operating stem adjacent the other end, beyond theend of the tubular body, for limiting axial movement of the operatingstem within the tubular body, and for rotating said' operating stemwithin the tubular body to rotate the drain cock valve stem.

2. In a drain cock wrench, a tubular body having an offset yoke memberat one end, wrench means formed thereon at the end of the yoke member,disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular bodyin spaced relation to the end of the tubular body, for receiving andholding against rotation the body of a conventional drain cock having acentrally rotatable valve stem formed with a drain opening therethrough,an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically and rotatably movablewithin the tubular body having one end projecting from the tubular bodytoward the drain cock receiving and holding portion on the yoke memberand terminating in a tapered extremity, adapted to be received in thedrain opening in the drain cock valve stem, means carried by saidoperating stem adjacent said tapered extremity for interengaging thedrain cock valve stem to rotate the same, handle means carried by saidoperating stem adjacent its other end, beyond the end of the tubularbody for limiting axial movement of the operating stem within thetubular body and for rotating said operating stem within the tubularbody to rotate the drain cock valve stem, and handle means carried bythe tubular body for holding the same stationary while the operatingstem handle means is being actuated.

3. In a wrench device of the class described, a cylindrical body havinga handle extending laterally therefrom at one end and a U-shaped yokeextension secured to the opposite end portion of the body on the sidethereof opposite from said handle, said U-shaped yoke extension having anut socket formed therein concentric with and at right angles to theaxis of the cylindrical body in axially spaced relation from the endthereof, a

cylindrical operating stem concentrically rotatable in said cylindricalbody having a conical head portion extending concentrically toward theaxis of the nut-receiving socket, an actuating arm projecting from oneside of said cylindrical operating stem and terminating in an angularlybent end disposed in parallel ofiset relation to the axis of thenut-receiving socket and located between the yoke-carrying end of thecylindrical body and said nut-receiving socket portion thereof, a handlemember projecting laterally from the opposite end portion of thecylindrical stem in a direction opposite said angularly bent actuatingarm and beyond the end of the cylindrical body, the distance between theactuating arm and handle on said cylindrical stem being in excess of thedistance between the ends of the cylindrical body so that the conicalhead .portion of the stem may be inserted into the drain opening in thedrain cock valve stem to prevent lateral displacement of the wrenchportion of the cylindrical body and said actuating arm, with respect tothe axis of said drain cock, when said handle members are swung towardor away from each other with the axis of the cylindrical body, stem,

and drain cock body in alignment.

4. In a drain cock wrench, a tubular body having an offset yoke memberat one end, wrench means formed thereon at the end of the yoke member,disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular bodyin spaced relation to the end of the tubular body, for receiving andholding against rotation the body of a conventional drain cock having acentrally rotatable valve stem formed with an axial drain openingtherethrough, an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically androtatably mounted within the tubular body having one end projecting fromthe tubular body toward the drain cock receiving and holding portion ofthe yoke'memher and terminating in an axial guide extremity, adapted tobe received in the axial drain opening in the drain cock valve stem,means carried by said operating stem adjacent the guide extremity forinterengaging the drain cock valve stem to rotate the same, handle meanscarried by said operating stem adjacent its other end, beyond the end ofthe tubular body for limiting axial movement of the operating stemwithin the tubular body and for rotating said operating stem within thetubular body to rotate the drain cock valve stem while held centralizedby said axial extension, and handle means carried by the tubular bodyfor holding the same stationary while the operating stem handle means isbeing actuated.

NICHOLAS J. VLASS.

